MEDIA RELEASE

From Doug Laing, on behalf of Shearing Sports New Zealand

November 24, 2013

Marlborough shearers do it again at Nelson show

Marlborough shearing stalwarts Tony Nott and Chris Jones repeated their successes of last year’s Nelson A and P Show when they won the two major titles at the Richmond Park Showgrounds on Saturday.

Nott successfully defended the Top of the South series open title, beating runner-up Jones by six seconds in a 10-sheep race each shore in under 12min 20sec, and producing the best quality to claim victory by just over two points.

Jones retained the Nelson A and P Show Open title in another 10-sheep final, for which Nott failed to qualify and had to settle for the consolation of winning the Open Plate.

The Tasman area’s most promising younger shearer, Jotham Rentoul, of Wakefield, won the Senior final by more than a minute and an eventual total of almost eight points from runner-up Neil MacDonald, of Tapawera, with third place going to Rangiora shearer Rowan Nesbit, who recently won his third Marlborough show Senior title.

North Canterbury’s Lyall Windleburn beat Rakaia shearer Corey Smith in a keenly-fought Intermediate final, while Joel Richards made a successful trip from North Otago to win the Junior final, in which American West Hyllstead was third.

Another feature was Golden Shears Junior woolhandling champion and Havelock university student Sarah Higgins’ victory in the Senior woolhandling event.

But the major success was an increase in competitor numbers, with 53 entries across the four shearing and three woolhandling classes possibly a record for shearing sports at the show.

Results from shearing and woolhandling events at the Nelson A and P Show Shears on Saturday, November 23, 2013:

Top of the South:

Open final (10 sheep): Tony Nott (Blenheim) 12min 7.13sec, 59.157pts, 1; Chris Jones (Waihope) 12min 13.4sec, 61.17pts, 2; Richard Sampey (Blenheim) 13min 59.34sec, 65.067pts, 3; Frank Bint (Tapawera) 14min 16.96sec, 78.248pts, 4.

Nelson Show:

Open final (10 sheep): Chris Jones (Waihope) 12min 0.4sec, 53.12pts, 1; Peter Lyall (Tapawera) 13min 5.87sec, 56.294pts, 2; Richard Sampey (Blenheim) 14min 1sec, 57.45pts, 3; Mark Herlihy (Rangiora) 11min 42.81sec, 58.541pts, 4.  

Open Plate (8 sheep): Tony Nott (Blenheim) 10min 19.16sec, 48.458pts, 1; Brett Williams (Tapawera) 10min 21.66sec, 52.083pts, 2; Nick Nalder (Takaka) 9min 24.97sec, 53.499pts, 3; Travers Baigent (Golden Downs) 9min 6.91sec, 58.846pts, 4.

Senior final (6 sheep): Jotham Rentoul (Wakefield) 10min 6.5sec, 44.492pts, 1; Neil MacDonald (Awatere) 11min 11.22sec, 52.394pts, 2; Rowan Nesbit (Rangiora) 10min 13.37sec, 56.502pts, 3; Steve Strange (Collingwood) 8min 20.25sec, 57.679pts, 4.

Intermediate final (4 sheep): Lyall Windleburn (Rangiora) 6min 1.19sec, 34.06pts, 1; Corey Smith (Rakaia) 6min 33.12sec, 35.906pts, 2; Issac Duckmanton (Christchurch) 7min 7.28sec, 47.864pts, 3; Chris Malcolm (Winton) 8min 17.19sec, 51.36pts, 4.

Junior final (3 sheep): Joel Richards (Oamaru) 7min 4.38sec, 45.219pts, 1; Hugh De Lacy (Cheviot) 6min 46.06sec, 48.97pts, 2; Weston Hyllstead (Iowa, USA) 7min 59.47sec, 73.974pts, 3; Duncan Higgins (Havelock) 9min 20.81sec, 79.707pts, 4.

Cleanshear (2 sheep): Chris Jones (Waihope) 1; Richard Sampey (Blenheim) 2; Mark Herlihy (Rangiora) 3; Corey Smith (Rakaia) 4.

Woolhandling:

Senior: Sarah Higgins (Havelock) 242.95pts, 1; Phoenix Brown (Christchurch) 264.726pts, 2.

Junior: Dannah Emms (Golden Downs) 138.3pts, 1; Siobhan Cross (Wakefield) 179.85pts, 2; Pam Irvine (Tapawera) 211.87pts, 3; Katrise McDonald (Christchurch) 231.53pts, 4.

Novice: Missy Kuru (Waikari) 155..236pts, 1; Emma Bannister (Tui) 172.206pts, 2.   

ENDS